The Truck is Home But...

Living in a suburban neighborhood like I do, it's inevitable that you become adapted to the comings and goings of your neighbors--even if you really don't have much contact with them.  I married a home-body who doesn't like to socialize very much so other than waving at them on the street or seeing them at church, we don't interact with our neighbors very much.  But like I said, I'm very well aware of habits, patterns, behaviors.  You know, like seeing a certain vehicle parked in the driveway tells you that so-and-so is home from work today and if it's missing, well, it's safe to assume they're not home.  Ya know?

Last Saturday while the boys were hanging the Christmas lights on the roof of our house, a neighbor kid came over and expressed concern for the boys up on the roof because, he told them, the neighbor that lives across the street was (supposedly) hanging Christmas lights the day before and fell off a ladder and died that morning.

Oh.

Having not had much contact with him beyond a smile and a wave every so often, I was extremely surprised at the depth of my reaction to the news.  Death is always hard (even when it comes as a release for the one who is dying) but I think his death is just so....  tragic.  Three weeks before Christmas?  And to make it worse, he was supposed to baptize his daughter the day he died.

He wasn't hanging Christmas lights, but dealing with a tree when he fell off a 20 foot ladder, landed on his feet and then his head on Friday.  I don't know for sure but I can't help but wonder if he was helping clean debris from that horrible wind storm that came through northern Utah on Thursday.

Our ward Christmas party was held the night he died and it was somewhat somber.   It's hard to see your bishop cry.  I've seen him angry once or twice *cough* (at me) *cough* but I've never seen him cry.  Mr. J. has had the most interaction with our neighbor and he's really feeling it.  It hit me too, in church on Sunday.  He was there and now he's not.

Brandie, his wife hadn't been home all weekend and the house remained dark.  I mentioned it to a friend of mine on Monday and she told me that Brandie hadn't left the hospital.  Even though her husband was pronounced dead, his body was being kept alive as he was an organ donor.  They harvested his organs on Monday and turned off the machines.

I can't even begin to comprehend what Brandie has been going through this week.  I just can't wrap my brain around it.

This is a new experience for me--I've obviously known people who have died: my neighbor and the mother of one of my closest friends while growing up passed away about a year or so ago.  But I've never lived next to someone (or across the street) when they actually died.  Someone brought Jon's truck home at some point Monday.  When I noticed it, my mind immediately went to "oh, Jon's home" before I remembered that he's not home.  Well, he's gone to his Heavenly HOME but he's not returning to the home and family that lives in across the street from me.  Seeing the truck parked there, not moving all week, has been a constant reminder of how precious and fragile life is.  How it can end in an instant.

I'm also dealing with guilt that I didn't take the time to get to know him better.  It sounds like he was a pretty amazing guy.  Hopefully I can change that with Brandie.  I hope I can be a good neighbor to her now.

Jon's death has also had me reflecting on one of the key doctrines of my religion, Heavenly Father's Plan.   Not only am I thankful to know that we return to our Heavenly Father when we die, but I am also thankful that part of His plan is for us to be a part of an eternal family.  Jon and Brandie believe this and I'm sure she is drawing strength from this--to know that she and Jon will be together again some day.

I'm attending a performance of The Forgotten Carols this evening and it always ends with the song "Together Forever".  I'm sure I'm going to be a blubbering idiot as I think about my neighbors as well as those loved ones that I'm separated from and miss dreadfully, especially this time of year.

Well, it's hard to say good bye and let go
And it's hard to see it end
When the mem'ries we've just made
May never happen again.
But it's harder for time to ever erase
The together times we've shared.
So, when we're apart remember
All the love we shared together

And for all that love,
Thank the Lord above
Who showed us the way
That we can be together, forever someday

Here is a link to his obituary.  If you have the means and are so inclined, please consider donating to the memorial  fund.  It is my understanding they're facing astronomical costs...  Please pray for her and her family too, if you're of the praying kind.

We can be...  together...  forever... some day.